


Wonderland

by Listenerofshadows



Series: Sander Sides One-Shots [12]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Mild Profanity, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Prinixety (platonic), The Danger Noodle is mentioned but not actually present in the fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-15 22:13:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15422724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Listenerofshadows/pseuds/Listenerofshadows
Summary: "Virgil always arrived at the mall for work at around 8:30AM. Except for today, when he hit a stoplight just before the mall. He’d never gotten stuck behind a red light at that stoplight. Why today? Why did a single stoplight have to destroy the fabric of reality as he knew it?!"





	Wonderland

“I don’t believe we have met before, I would remember a dumb ass like you.” He said dryly, gazing disinterestedly at the man standing before him.

He attempted to continue walking forward, despite his heartbeat racing a hundred miles a minute. He was certain he’d never met the man before, yet there was something about him. It was like seeing a stranger with a face remarkably similar to someone who knew. Yet he knew with certainty that he didn’t know him.

“Wait!” The man cried, grabbing at his wrist.

“You already spilled coffee all over my work shirt, what else could you want?” He snapped, attempting to jerk his hand away.

The man’s grip was strong and since Virgil wasn’t known for bench-pressing weights at the gym, the man’s hand was still around his wrist.

“It’s you.” The man repeated again, “It’s really you.”

The man looked like he was about to break down crying in the middle of a crowded mall. That was bad because then people would start to stare at them, and the last thing Virgil wanted was people staring at him.

“Look, can we go somewhere—”

“Yes, of course.” The man readily agreed. He held out his other arm and snapped.

One moment they were standing in the mall on a busy Saturday. Virgil had been walking on his way to the Hot Topic he worked at, when a man splashed coffee all over his work uniform. When he started berating the stranger for not watching where he was going, the man interrupted him by insisting he knew him. Which just pissed him off.

The next moment, they were standing in a meadow of wild flowers. The sun shone brightly at them, not a cloud in the sky. Yet something felt ethereal about this place, like it existed on a different plane of reality.

“Wh—what is this?” He gasped.

Nope, he was not doing this today. This had to be a bizarre nightmare, there was no real way that this was real.

The man let go of his wrist as he studied Virgil.

“You really don’t remember anything, do you?” He remarked in a melancholic tone.

“Can’t remember anything that I didn’t have memories of it in the first place.” Virgil said, tapping his forehead for emphasis. When in a crisis, memes are always the answer.

“I can’t believe this, first time I see you in three years, and you can’t appreciate the irony of you working at Hot Topic.” The man laughed. But it wasn’t burst your guts out type of laughing. It was the choked-up type, as if attempting to cope with the situation.

“This has got to be the weirdest dream I’ve ever had,” Virgil said, electing to ignore the stranger for a moment. He pinched his arm, because that’s what all literary characters do to test if they’re dreaming or not. And like all literary characters, the pinch still stung.

“Dammit, this is real, huh…” Virgil muttered beneath his breath before turning to address the stranger, “What’s going on? Who are you?!”

“Who are you?” The man asked instead of answering any of his questions.

“My name is Virgil Sa—Virgil Raine.” He blinked. What was that? Why did all of a sudden, his last name felt like a pair of skinny jeans that didn’t fit? His name had always been Raine as…long as he could remember…

“How long have you’ve been working at Hot Topic?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Virgil asked, narrowing his eyes.

“Please, I promise I’ll explain everything once you answer a few questions of my own.” The man held out his hands, as if showing a frightened animal he had no intentions on harming them.

“All of my life, of course.”

“Really, all your life?” The man laughed again, this time a cold harsh chuckle, “even when you were in diapers?”

“No of course not!” Virgil protested, “I was being sarcastic!”

Was he really, though? It slipped out of his mind without him even thinking. But that was just ridiculous, as even the man pointed out there was no way it could be true. Ugh, this whole thing was making his head hurt.

“Then how long have you worked there?”

“Two years—no that’s not right. I started in June of…” Virgil ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t know.”

He laughed, a cackle that only belonged to madmen. His head ached from the amount of mental gymnastics he put it through. How could he not know how long he’d been working there?

“Do you know why?!” He turned to the man, frantic, “Why don't I know—please, what’s going on?!”

Virgil always arrived at the mall for work at around 8:30AM. Except for today, when he hit a stoplight just before the mall. He’d never gotten stuck behind a red light at that stoplight. Why today? Why did a single stoplight have to destroy the fabric of reality as he knew it?!

“Breathe,” The man commanded, placing a hand on his shoulder. Virgil shakily nodded, breathing in the oxygen he’d denied himself in the midst of his panic attack.

“There is a being out there. He goes by no name except for what he does—Deceit. He traps people in lies. He can make someone believe the sky is green, if he wants.”

“Or make someone believe they’ve been a Hot Topic employee for their whole life?” Virgil suggested morosely.

“Exactly.” He smiled sadly at him.

“Okay, but why? Why me? Does he just target random people for the pure chaos?”

“You’re right in that he does enjoying seeds of discord for his own sick enjoyment,” The man answered, “but Virgil. You have no idea how powerful you are.”

“Me, powerful?” He snorted, “I think you’ve gotten the wrong person.”

The man laughed, this time lighthearted and free.

“You’ve told me that before,” His eyes gleaming.

“I’ve never met you before,” Virgil said, “or at least, if what you’re saying is true, I don’t remember you. I don’t even know your name.”

“My name is Roman and I can help with that,” The man held out his hand, “Do you trust me?”

Virgil hesitated to look down at the hand. It was like a blue pill or red pill scenario. He could continue living his predictable life, knowing it was all a lie. Or he could choose the red pill—discover just how deep the rabbit hole went.

For all his anxiety about uncertainty if there was one thing he hated more than anything was lies. For as long as he could remember, he hated lying and he wouldn’t indulge in this lie any longer.

“I do,” he said, clasping the stranger’s hand.

Into the rabbit hole he went.


End file.
